Deadly Secrets
by Kielke Chiba
Summary: an evil sorceress kidnaps Princess Zelda, a girl raised by dragons raids Hyrule Market, and Link has to team up with...Ganondorf?!
1. Raiders

The Legend of Zelda: Deadly Secrets  
  
Chapter One  
  
Link awakened with a jolt. In his mind still echoed Princess Zelda's frantic call. *Link...help...please...help us!*  
Sighing, he crawled out of bed and was soon riding Epona out of Kokiri Forest toward Hyrule Castle. The main town, Hyrule Market, had been continuously raided during the past three nights, mostly by some unknown aerial foe that couldn't be stopped. Zelda, of course, had overly taken advantage of Link's being the Hero of Time by calling him out every night. But by the time he arrived, the threat had already vanished and the market trashed, with many goods stolen and buildings ruthlessly damaged.  
As he approached the town this time, though, there was clearly something still going on. Many soldiers shouted to each other excitedly, mixed with higher-pitched, strange shrieks and cries. Link dismounted Epona and approached the city gates, and a soldier on the other side unlocked it for him.  
"Thank the goddesses you're here, Link," said the soldier, catching his breath from all the running around and commotion. Link stepped inside the gate and followed the soldier into town. "This raid, we've actually kept them here long enough for you to determine who--and what--they are," the soldier continued.  
"Who would try and raid Hyrule Market?" Link questioned. "The only person I can think of is--"  
A wild rush of air threw him to the ground, catching him off guard and knocking the wind out of him. He lifted his head just in time to see two winged dragons fly over, shrieking and calling to each other. Link thought he saw a person seated on the neck of one, but shrugged it off. There was no way someone could be riding one of those things!  
The young soldier helped Link to his feet and both watched the dragons knock over several stalls and booths, scattering various fruits, vegetables, and trays of precious stones into the streets.  
"If you were about to blame it on Ganondorf," the soldier said between gasps of air, "I'd say that it's not very likely. He'd rather sneak in and attack the castle, not the city making so much noise."  
Looking closely at the dragons as they swooped and glided over the buildings, Link noticed something. "They're not really dragons," he said to the soldier. "They're too small to be true ones, and they're built like birds or bats. Look--they have only for limbs, not six."  
The soldier nodded. "The King says they're Wyverns--smaller dragons, but just as dangerous, even though they can't breathe fire."  
"I thought Wyverns died out!"  
The soldier shrugged. "Apparently not."  
Link didn't stand around to argue with the soldier anymore. He took out his bow, fitted an Ice Arrow to the end of it, and shot the wing of a passing Wyvern. The creature shrieked and buckled, falling to the ground with a thud, frantic to shake off the icy magic that held its wing captive. Finally it got free and flew up into the air once more, shrieking still.  
A huge commotion of the soldiers caused the one standing by Link to run off in that direction. Link put his bow away and ran after them, drawing his sword. A ring of soldiers clustered around the place where the Wyvern had fallen, and Link had to fight his way through the crowd to see what it was they were staring at. And then he cursed himself for shrugging off the notion of a person riding Wyvern-back.  
The person was laying face-up, with a jade-colored Wyvern-skin cloak and a strange mask that fit over the face. The mask was green and yellow and red, with a rendition of a Wyvern's face. Curious, he fought his way into the clearing where the stranger lay unconscious.  
"Who is it?" one soldier demanded.  
Links shook his head and resheathed his sword. "I don't know. I guess he was riding the Wyvern that I hit with the arrow. When it crashed, I guess this character got knocked off and fell off."  
Overhead, the Wyverns circled and shrieked anxiously.  
Link took this into account. "I guess this is the one that was controlling them, almost their leader or something. Maybe it's this guy that leads the raids on the market."  
The soldiers all nodded. The leader didn't seem too happy, though. "Well, take off that mask and let's see who it is. That way I can throw him in the dungeon until trial. An identity would really help, you know."  
Link bent down over the unconscious figure, then slowly pulled off the mask. At seeing the form, the soldiers pulled back, astonished. Link himself couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a young girl, maybe nine or ten years old, with vibrant blue hair and strange red markings on her face. She was wearing an orchid-colored tunic, cinched at the waist with a belt, and a deep purple skirt that hung absurdly above her knees. Around her neck was a necklace of either teeth or claws, and the cape tied around her neck. A bandanna was wrapped around her head, giving her a thievish appearance.  
Of which she was a thief.  
The silence was broken by the lead soldier's laughter. "Well, men, it looks like we've all been staged by a little girl for three nights," he said between chuckles. "Seems like a shame to have one of her hands cut off to discourage her from stealing again."  
Eventually all the other soldiers joined in, all except Link. He glared at the lead soldier with a hateful passion. This man seemed more of the kind that enjoyed punishing people for crimes, rather than the kind that wanted to protect the city and castle.  
That was when the girl woke up.  
She leaped abruptly to her feet, and the soldiers pulled back even further. She pulled a dagger from her belt and gave Link a look of such hate that he was too stunned to fight back for a second. She took that second to swipe menacingly at his chest, leaving a long scratch across it. Fortunately he broke out of his trance long enough to jump away so that the cut wasn't too deep.  
He didn't pull out his sword just yet, but grabbed her wrists to restrain her. She fought against him for a while, but he didn't let go. Finally she quickly sank her teeth into his lower arm, and he let go in surprise. She tackled him to the ground and attempted to stab him with her dagger. He held her off for a while, wondering how a lavender-eyed young girl like her would have this much strength and stamina.   
Then the girl spoke: "Curses for all you Hylians! Curses for a hundred generations!"  
And then a Wyvern swept close to the ground, knocking the soldiers down. The girl latched onto its passing tail and was soon accompanied by the other Wyvern in the air. She scrambled onto this one's back and all three headed out to the north.  
Link lay there in the street, remembering the girl's words. They were so full of hate and passion, and her voice was drawn into a devilish hiss. It was as if she knew of some wrong the Hylian race had done her, and she wasn't in a joking mood about it.  
And that's when he realized that he'd lost more blood than what he'd originally assumed. And that's when he blacked out right in the middle of Main Street.  
  
He awoke to the sound of Zelda's voice arguing with Impa, which didn't surprise him much. His hand went to his wound, and was relieved to discover that it had been bandaged and treated. A smell of medicine stung his nose, but it was better than dying. Zelda was almost immediately at his side, with Impa scowling at him from the foot of the bed.  
"What were you thinking back there?" Impa snapped. "The captain of the guard told me that you picked a fight with whoever's been raiding us."  
Link sat up, wincing at the pain in his chest. "I'm afraid that you've been misinformed," he told Impa. "It was the raider who picked a fight with me. And don't bother to go looking for her, unless you're so hell-bent on catching a little girl."  
"A little girl?" Impa lifted an eyebrow. "I don't believe it."  
"Apparently the captain of the guard didn't tell you," Link continued. "He also apparently didn't tell you what that 'little girl' said to me. And it sure didn't make her sound like a little girl."  
"What did she say?" Zelda asked. "Something about us?"  
Link nodded. "She said, 'Curses for all you Hylians! Curses for a hundred generations!' And she meant it, too. I could see it in her eyes. Why she was mad at us, I have no idea. Do you? Or do you even know who it is?"  
Zelda thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know what she meant, or who she is."  
Link frowned. "Zelda, you're lying. I can tell. Give me the truth."  
Zelda sighed and glanced at Impa, who nodded.  
"She was born Hylian," Zelda began. "But she was abandoned as a child. A clan of smaller dragons called Wyverns raised her as their own. During that time, the Wyverns were being hunted almost to extinction by our hunters. Mostly for their skin. Around that same time, the Gerudos had a period of hardship of their own. Their farming soil was disappearing, causing famine and disease. Ironically, it was during that time that Ganondorf attacked us--remember? He was looking for the Triforce of Power."  
Link nodded again. "So, how is this related?"  
"Well, according to some of our spies, Ganondorf and this girl--I don't exactly know her name--but anyway, she and Ganondorf incorporated some kind of alliance after he got the Triforce of Power. She would raid our villages and towns, and he would protect her and her clan in return for the goods she obtained from the raids. That way, the Gerudos wouldn't die of starvation and the Wyverns wouldn't go completely extinct."  
Link's eyes widened. "I didn't know that Ganondorf was so compassionate, especially towards someone who's the same race as his enemies."  
Zelda smiled. "Exactly what I thought. When Impa first told me, I didn't believe it either. Then we discovered that the girl regarded herself as a Wyvern, and really chewed Ganondorf out when he accused her of being Hylian. That's when he realized that she felt the exact same way he did about us."  
"Since no one knows her name," Link said after a while of thinking, "haven't you at least given her something to call her by? I mean, something to distinguish her from the crowd, per se?"  
It was Impa who answered. "I alone know her true name, though I have sworn to secrecy about it."  
Zelda nodded. "That's right. And another thing--she actually looks younger than she is. She's fourteen."  
"Fourteen?" Link couldn't believe it. "She looked ten to me."  
"Well, think about it," Impa snapped. "If she were only ten years old, that would mean that she were only five when she forged the alliance with Ganondorf. You think he would ally with a kid only old enough to strap on her boots?"  
Link blushed bright red. "Guess you're right." 


	2. Wyverns

Chapter Two  
  
What's wrong with me? I should have killed him! He's one of them!  
These thoughts circled over and over in the girl's mind, like hungry buzzards over a carcass. her Wyvern-skin cloak flew out behind her as her brother Tyr glided over Hyrule Field towards the Gerudo Hills.  
The girl had many names, only one of which was true. The Zoras and Gorons knew her as Titania, the Hylians had no name for her at all, but only the Gerudos and the remaining Sheikah knew her true name: Kielke Chiba, leader of the Wyvern race and scourge of the Hylians.  
She was brought back to reality by Avis, her second brother. Even though the Wyverns only communicated among themselves in series of chirps, shrieks, and strange low clicking sounds, Kielke had a direct telepathic link with them, an end result of her spending her entire life with them.  
You know, you could have at least killed the one that froze up my wing, Avis complained. That hurt. Why did you let the scrapper live?  
"A frozen wing isn't going to kill you," Kielke answered out loud. "It thawed out, didn't it?"  
It did. Avis glanced at her dejectedly. But still, you could have given him something as a reminder not to mess with us.  
Kielke laughed. "I did. Let's just say that he won't be getting out of bed for a few days."  
Well, enough about Avis' problems, Tyr broke in. What are we going to tell Ganondorf about this botched raid?  
Kielke paused. Ganondorf was dangerous if angered, but maybe he would understand her situation. "We're going to tell him the truth, no matter what. Our integrity is more important than keeping our alliance."  
Hope you're right, Avis mumbled.  
  
It was gray dawn when the threesome reached the Gerudos' main fortress. Kielke was fast asleep on Tyr's neck when he shook it to awaken her. She raised her head groggily and noted the sunrise.  
"Ganondorf should be up and around by now," she said through a yawn. "His schedule is easy to memorize:  
"At five o'clock he gets up, and then he spends  
"From five to six daydreaming.  
"From six to seven-thirty he takes his early midmorning nap.  
"From seven-thirty to eight-thirty he dawdles and delays.  
"From eight-thirty to ten-thirty he takes his late early midmorning nap.  
"From ten-thirty to twelve he bides his time and then eats lunch.  
"From twelve to one he lingers and loiters.  
"From one to two-thirty he takes his early afternoon nap.  
"From two-thirty to three-thirty he puts off for tomorrow what he could have done today.  
"From three-thirty to four he takes his early late afternoon nap.  
"From four to five he loafs and lounges until dinner.  
"From six to seven he dillydallies.  
"From seven to eight he takes his early evening nap, and then for two hours before he goes to bed at ten he wastes time."  
Nice schedule, Avis scoffed. Does he actually know how much work we haul in all day?  
'We'? Tyr shot him a glance. What do you mean, 'we'? Your own schedule is exactly like his. After we do our raids you just slack off all day while everyone else is working.  
Avis turned from emerald green to bright red, and Tyr descended to the ground with Kielke. She clambered down her brother's wing to the ground. "Keep a lookout for me, okay?" she said to him. Tyr nodded and rushed back into the air.  
Kielke immediately set her sights on finding Ganondorf. Which wasn't so hard as expected, even with the bustle of early morning activity, for two reasons: one, he was the only male in a society completely composed of females. And two, he was headed toward Kielke at the moment, with a firm snarl on his face and a scrawny second in command being his shadow.  
Kielke waited patiently as he approached, then took a deep breath and said cautiously, "Good morning. I trust you slept well?"  
Ganondorf replied with an unamused stare. "So, where's our supplies? You were supposed to bring them this morning. You've missed the deadline, Kielke."  
That was when the scrawny Gerudo in back of Ganondorf piped up. "Yeah, you were supposed to bring the supplies this morning and you missed the deadline. Dead girl walking."  
Both Kielke and Ganondorf glared at her. "You mind if I talk to my ally--and friend--alone?" Kielke snapped.  
"Whatever you can say in front of me, you can say in front of Teria," Ganondorf replied.  
Kielke thought for a moment and grinned. "Okay, I think the reason why your people are starving is because Teria's using all the food to feed her own fat butt."  
"What?!" Ganondorf thundered.  
Teria looked downcast. "I knew since I was so skinny this outfit would make me look fat."  
Kielke put her hand on Ganondorf's arm and led him toward the main compound. "No, Teria," she called back over her shoulder. "Your fat butt makes you look fat."  
Once inside, Kielke told Ganondorf everything. The botched raid, her near capture, her encounter with the strange young man who dressed like a Kokiri.  
The last description sparked Ganondorf's interest. "His name wouldn't happen to be Link, would it?"  
Kielke shook her head. "I don't know."  
"Did you kill him?"  
"No. He was too fast. But I did get him good enough that he'll be bedridden for a few days."  
Ganondorf paused. "With him around, I understand why you couldn't get anything. But since he's fighting you, I guess Princess Zelda still hasn't told him the truth."  
Kielke nodded. "It'll all come clear someday. It's hard for even a princess to keep a secret, especially one like this."  
"Hope you're right."  
  
Soon Kielke was on Tyr's back again, with Avis at their side, and gliding lazily toward the mountains where the Wyverns made their homes. She knew that something was clearly wrong since that botched raid, and she had a feeling of approaching disaster.  
The cave-pocked cliffs of northern Hyrule came into sight, and the five hundred other Wyverns in the clan were basking in the sun, playing aerial games of chase, and attending Criya, Kielke's adoptive mother. Criya had been shot with a hunter's arrow four days before, and was still recovering from the wound.  
The three siblings landed on the rock outcropping where Criya lay, her blue body glistening in the early morning sunlight. Kielke ran to her and greeted her in the Wyvern fashion, rubbing her own cheek across Criya's scaly one. Criya lifted her massive head and smiled delicately.  
Good morning, my daughter. Is something troubling you?  
Kielke smiled. "It's like you read my mind."  
Criya shifted so that Kielke could scramble up onto her neck. Then tell me. What is it?  
Kielke curled up on the flat of Criya's forehead, and the aged Wyvern lowered her head again. "I have a strange feeling that something terrible is about to happen. I can't explain it, but it's coming close. And I'm afraid that it's going to happen to us, to this clan."  
Criya was silent for a long time. Our ways have touched you deeply, Kielke. Now you, too, can feel the changes in the winds and the tiny shifts in the balance of nature. These developments will allow you to predict the future, but it may be a while before the prediction will become clear.  
Kielke nodded. Then another question struck her mind. "Criya, did you ever know who my true parents were?"  
They came here wanting a safe haven for their child, and I accepted. They fled and were never seen again.  
Kielke sighed and fingered her dragon-tooth necklace, teeth pulled from the Fire-Dragon, Volvagia. "I wish I could have met them."  
Don't worry about it, Criya replied. You have a peaceful and loving family right here. Tyr and Avis are your brothers, and I am your mother. And my mate, the goddesses rest his soul, is your father.  
Kielke giggled to herself, then fell asleep as her mother crooned a lullaby. 


	3. Accusations

Chapter Three  
  
Princess Zelda strolled the hallways of Hyrule Castle, enjoying the way the cool marble could be felt through her slippers. Link had been recovering for two days now, and it seemed that his wound was already better. It was a good sign, considering that he'd lost a lot of blood.  
She left the castle and entered the gardens, her favorite place to be in the evening. She breathed in the sweetness of the summer flowers that were blooming. A strong breeze ruffled her hair, carrying with it the smell of coming rain.  
"Princess."  
She turned to Impa, who had come up behind her. "What is it, Impa?"  
The Sheikah woman frowned. "It's unsafe for you to be out after dark, with the raids on all this week. And besides, it's looking like it's going to rain."  
Zelda grinned. "Is there anything else?"  
Impa returned the smile. "Yes. Link says he's getting lonely and wants some company."  
"I thought so. Some Hero of Time."  
Impa laughed, which was not often. "True. They say the bigger the man, the bigger the baby."  
Zelda followed Impa inside, still laughing at their joke. They were at Link's bedside in about ten minutes. Link couldn't tell if the grin still on Impa's face was a smile or a grimace.  
"Jeez, Impa, do you have to scare the hell out of me every time you do that?" he asked her.  
Impa's smile faded and she glared at him threateningly.  
"That's better," Link added.  
  
It was well after dark when Zelda climbed wearily into bed, and even longer still before she fell asleep. But she finally did, and it was unplagued by her prophetic dreams.  
The rain came, in drenching sheets that turned the grounds outside the castle into a floodzone. The fat drops pummeled on the roof of the castle, sounding like an army of horses. Thunder crashed and lightning brightened the night sky.  
Through all this, Zelda slept on. She didn't even awaken when the doors leading out to her balcony opened, letting a dark-cloaked, rain-soaked stranger enter her bedroom. This stranger had fierce lightning within his eyes, real lightning. It crackled between his fingers and lit the room, casting eerie shadows along the wall.  
Zelda sighed in her sleep and turned over, away from the cold wind entering her room. She slept through this as well.  
The one moment when she did awaken was when the stranger clapped his hand over her mouth, muffling her screams. The man carried her out to the balcony and raised his free arm, allowing him to ascend on a pillar of lightning that crackled from his arm.  
  
"It has to be Ganondorf's work," Link said angrily. "Only he could do something like this. How else could Zelda have disappeared?"  
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Impa advised. "Sure, Ganondorf has a bad reputation for kidnapping the Princess, but maybe it wasn't him after all."  
A troop of soldiers that Impa had sent to investigate Zelda's bedchamber interrupted them. "Excuse us for intruding, ma'am," the lead soldier apologized. Link recognized him as the young soldier on the night he'd been injured.  
"Did you find anything?" Impa demanded.  
"Only this." The soldier handed her a strange object, about six inches long. It was crystalline in shape, and a faint blue color.  
Impa turned it over and over in her hands, inspecting every inch of it. Finally she turned to Link, her face grave. "This type of mineral is only found in one place in all Hyrule."  
"Where?" Link knew his suspicions were about to be confirmed, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.  
"The North," Impa replied. "Namely, the Gerudo Hills."  
  
Epona's hooves thundered on the flat land of Hyrule Field, heading north into the Gerudo Hills. Link was frantic to get Zelda back, no matter what personal cost to himself.  
Finally he could spot the mist-shrouded hills that the Gerudo lurked in loomed up before them, and Link sped Epona on even more, to find Zelda before it was too late.  
Soon he slowed Epona to a halt, and giving her a grateful pat, dismounted, and snuck in close to where the Gerudo main fortress, watching for Ganondorf's presence. That was when he would attack and demand the return of the Princess.  
He didn't have to wait long. Ganondorf came barging out of the castle, screaming at the top of his lungs at a scrawny young Gerudo that he'd literally kicked out before he'd come out. "IF YOU EVER INTERRUPT AGAIN YOU'LL END UP JUST LIKE RAKARA, YOU HEAR ME?!"  
Link didn't wait for him to disappear back into the castle. He drew his sword and charged down the hill, skidding down the sand-covered slope. Ganondorf heard him coming and looked up just as Link stopped right in front of him. Link stared at his rival with an expression of pure surprise, which was exactly what was on Ganondorf's face.  
For a few minutes, both enemies stood staring at each other with looks of shock and confusion, looking like they'd never seen each other before in their entire lives. Finally Ganondorf broke the silence. "Link, what in Din's name are you doing here?"  
Link broke his trance and quicker than lightning, he had his sword pressed into the skin of Ganondorf's neck. "Where have you taken her?" he hissed.  
Ganondorf still looked stunned. "What are you talking about? I haven't taken anyone."  
"Don't give me that!" he pressed the edge of the sword harder against Ganondorf's neck. "Where's Princess Zelda?"  
"I didn't kidnap Zelda. You think I would be here if I did? Try to run a little investigation before you start blaming me for a misplaced princess."  
Link saw that there was truth in the Gerudo King's words. Still, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Slowly, he lowered his sword and swallowed. Hard. "Y-you didn't kidnap the Princess?"  
"No."  
"Are you sure?"  
Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Do I have to repeat myself a third time? I think I would know if I kidnapped someone or not. Let me say it nice and slow for you: I...did...not...kidnap...Zelda."  
Link thought for a moment. "Then--do you know who did?"  
"No. But I know someone who can help you find that out."  
  
Kielke was attending Criya's wound, which had only recently begun to heal properly. Kielke uncovered the wrappings she had used as bandages, gently washed the accumulated grease and dirt with warm water, and placed a fresh patch of bandages on.  
Criya suddenly let out a long, drawn-out hiss of anger. Startled, Kielke looked up and saw the young man dressed in Kokiri green that she'd fought three days before. She slowly stood and placed her hand on Criya's brow ridge for reassurement. "What do YOU want?" she demanded of the stranger.  
Link, who was still pissed off at Ganondorf for sending him to the same girl who'd nearly killed him, stood his ground. "Are you Kielke Chiba?"  
At hearing him speak her name, Kielke softened. "Yes. Who told you?"  
"Ganondorf." Link stayed well away from Criya's sharp falcon-like beak and hooked claws to approach Kielke. "Princess Zelda was kidnapped last night. I need your help in finding out who did it."  
Kielke maintained an expressionless face. She had learned from her Wyvern family that it wasn't exactly news that the Hylian Princess got kidnapped by some evil being practically every week. Not that Ganondorf was evil, just...misunderstood. She turned to Criya and thought, I'll be okay. He just wants to talk.  
Criya settled in a huff. If he tries to hurt you, he'll go through the four shades of Hell before ending up in my gullet.  
Kielke gaver her mother a quick pat on the cheek and turned to Link. "My mother says that if you try to hurt me, she'll rip you apart and then eat you. It might be wise to leave your weapons here."  
Link gulped and dropped his sword and shield and followed Kielke into a large cave behind the wounded Wyvern. When he entered, he nearly got bit by a Skulltula whose web he'd disturbed. Giving the spider a whack on the head, he looked around the cave with a truly inquisitive nature.  
Instead of the rocky cave that he'd expected, it was almost a complete home. The entire cave was scraped smooth, giving it a boxlike shape. Strange hieroglyphic writing covered the walls, and the ceiling had the constellations carved into it. At the back wall was a large Triforce emblem, embossed in gold. In the center of the room were some small pieces of furniture, including a table and two chairs. A small sleeping mat was in one corner, and some skins were stretched on the floor and tacked down with pegs. Below the Triforce emblem was a roaring fireplace, with a small pile of neatly chopped and stacked wood to the left.  
"Nice place you've got here," Link commented.  
Kielke smiled. "This is the only one like it in these mountains. Impa says it's an ancient Sheikah holdout."  
Link remembered Impa's words when he'd awakened after Kielke's attack: "I alone know her true name, but I have sworn to secrecy about it."  
"Exactly," Link now said to Kielke. "Impa said she knew you. How is that?"  
Kielke sat down in one of the chairs at the table and motioned to Link, who sat down as well. Link noticed that a intricately carved mask, though incomplete, was on the table, as well as some paints. He blushed, and remembered that Kielke had never gotten her mask back after he'd taken it off the night of the attack. Kielke pulled the mask toward her and dipped her brush in some paint, and began to work on the mask. "Impa has known me for a long time," she began, talking as she worked. "All of the remaining Sheikah do. Impa's the one who taught me how to survive in the wilderness, and also how to fight."  
"So that's how you were able to beat me," Link said with a grin on his face. "Not many people have been able to. Ganondorf almost did, though. Emphasis on almost."  
Kielke laughed and dipped her brush again. "Yes. I have also trained under him, but he just won't admit I'm better than he is. Kind of stubborn that way. Anyhow, would you mind me asking why Ganondorf sent you to me?"  
Link's face turned grave. "Like I said earlier, Princess Zelda was kidnapped. Ganondorf says he didn't do it."  
Kielke giggled so much she had to stop work on her new mask. "He sure worked himself up a reputation when he snatched her last time, didn't he?"  
"This is serious!" Link snapped, enraged at Kielke's outlook on the situation. "If Ganondorf didn't kidnap the Princess, who did?"  
Kielke's eyes grew slitlike. "Then I guess you'll have to start by telling me the weather on that night." 


	4. Prophecy

Chapter Four  
  
"The weather?" Link's eyes furrowed. "Why the hell do you want to know about the weather? What's it got to do with anything?!"  
"Because there was no dark and stormy night anywhere else on Hyrule. It was just over the Market and Castle."  
Link's frown deepened. "What are you getting at?"  
Kielke smiled, and with her eyes reduced to half-open slits, Link got shivers down his spine. "Come with me," Kielke said, and Link's impression was that of Rauru, the Sage of Light.  
The Wyvern girl rose out of the chair and walked over to one of the walls with hieroglyphic writing on them. Link followed her. Kielke took his hand in hers and removed his gauntlet, and she examined his bare hand for a moment, noting the lines in his palm. She ran a delicate finger over one particularly long line, which tickled Link so much he jerked his hand out of her grasp.  
"What are you doing?" he shouted.  
Kielke smiled. "Sorry, I was just reading your palm. You've got a particularly long life line, which is good news."  
Link rubbed his palm, still unnerved by the girl's cool and light touch. It had felt like a bird's wing had gently brushed his hand. "So, how is it good news that I have a long life line?"  
Kielke took his hand again and this time pressed it up against the wall. "Because this is a prophecy that will alter the course of history in Hyrule."  
Link gazed at the rows of hieroglyphs, some in wide columns separated from the rest by finely chiseled lines. He moved his hand up along the many strange symbols to the low ceiling, where the Maiden constellation began. He folded his arms and glowered at Kielke. "What does it say?"  
Kielke moved down the wall. "The prophecy is written in three languages," she began. "The first, here--" she touched a panel closest to the cave entrance--"is written in ancient Hylian. The next," she continued, moving her hand to Link's left, "is written in Sheikan, which I can read pretty well, save for a couple of weird ones. And yours," she said gravely, touching the one that Link stood in front of, "yours is written in a language not even Impa knows."  
Link stepped away from Kielke. This was going way too far, even for him. It was impossible! Impa knew every tree and stone in Hyrule, it was her business to know as a Sheikah! Still, he swallowed his complaints and choked out again, "What do they mean?"  
Kielke went back to the panel of hieroglyphs that was written in Sheikah. "In the beginning, there was altogether six races, not five. They were called the Yunaiteddo, meaning 'united.' They were once four tribes, but then became united under common ground. But then an evil sorceress named Akuma, meaning 'demon' or 'evil spirit', began to accumulate vast amounts of dark energy into her body. Two of the original Yunaiteddo tribes followed her, the Serrain clan and the Crenor clan. The other two, the Dartanen and the Zerat, decided to end Akuma's campaigns to gain control of Hyrule. But even in this time of war and bloodshed, a child was born of one of the Crenor and one of the Zerat--"  
"While you're going on about this whole thing," Link cut in, "Princess Zelda is probably lying on the ground somewhere hurt or worse. What are we doing sitting around talking Hylian history for?"  
Kielke glared at him. "Will you shut up for ten minutes? I'm getting there. Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. The child grew up to be one of the most powerful warriors in Hyrule's history. You've already gotten very acquainted with him."  
Link scoffed. "Yeah, like I know an ancient warrior who's probably as loonytunes as the Happy Mask Salesman."  
"You aren't opening your mind. To you, the warrior's likeness came in the form of a mask."  
"No way!" Link shouted, backing out the cave. "I've had enough of this! You're saying that the spirit in the FierceDeity mask was once a real person?!"  
"Yes, now get back here," Kielke snapped. "There's more." Link obediently stood by Kielke's side again.  
"Now," Kielke said, "the FierceDeity as you know him, his true name was Hinode, meaning 'sunrise' or 'morning.' He even had a family: a wife and two daughters. But there were many people who would like to see him and his family dead.  
"He had many legends circling around him already, of his courageous deeds in battle, his wisdom of planning campaigns against the evil ones, and his power to turn them back. He used powerful magic in the battlefield, and always performed some of the light magic--like jeweled butterflies and flowers--for his children's entertainment."  
Link nodded. "So he was like a family man and feared warrior all at the same time."  
"Exactly. Well anyway, Akuma once got too close to the village Hinode and his family were living in. So he moved them into hiding and went off to drive Akuma back. But what he didn't know was that the same person who helped him hide his family was a spy for Akuma."  
"What happened?"  
"Akuma stormed the hideout at the same time Hinode left to fight her. She killed his wife and eldest daughter, but the youngest was left alive--barely. When Hinode returned, he was so enraged that he left the half-alive daughter with the Holy Sage of Light, Rauru, and went off to fight Akuma. After a long battle, Hinode strangled Akuma, and put a curse on her, making her of no flesh--nothing more than an evil dream."  
Link rolled his eyes. "Get to the damn point, Kielke."  
Kielke smiled at him. "The point is, the body of his daughter was unsalvageable, but her spirit was to be hosted by a certain girl of prophecy, with the same 'twilight fire' eyes as Hinode. He himself had been deathly injured in the battle with Akuma, and he transferred his spirit into the form of a mask, which you picked up in Termina."  
"You know about that?"  
"Rauru told me."  
Link was about to ask how Kielke had met the acquaintance of Rauru, but he decided to keep his mouth shut.  
"Now, Hinode's daughter was also part of Akuma's prophecy. In order to become flesh again, she had to find the true Sage of Time, who could survive the burning blade and tame the savage heart--"  
"Zelda," Link whispered. "Akuma is the one who kidnapped Zelda?"  
"Yes," Kielke answered. "She had to appease her demon guardian, Dapat, by using the SAge to open the Gates of Time and retrieve a sacred relic. But to appease Hinode, she had to find the girl with twilight fire eyes and bring her out of the host's body, and name her with the true name of her birth."  
"Well, what are we sitting around talking about riddles and prophecies and evil spirits for?" Link shouted. "Let's go find Akuma and bring Zelda back!"  
Kielke shook her head. "Only one person knows where Akuma is hiding. He also is the only one who can go through every inch of her dungeon knowing where he's heading. Someone who can get us through."  
"All right, surprise me," Link said with a smug look on his face. "Who is it?" 


	5. Lookout Post

Chapter Five  
  
"I AM NOT TRAVELING WITH GANONDORF!" Link shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU'RE CRAZY!!!"  
"Link, calm down," Kielke reassured him. "If you'll just--"  
"Calm down?" Link repeated. "Calm down? You're asking me to travel to an isolated dungeon full of Goddesses know what, with the same guy who's planning on killing me? And you're asking me to CALM DOWN?!"  
"Yes," Kielke answered in a toneless voice. "Calm down. Like I said, I'll be going with you to make sure you both don't kill each other." She shot a vicious glare at Ganondorf, who had such a look of smugness on his face that Link felt like smacking it off with the flat of the Master Sword.  
"And you behave yourself," Kielke ordered at Ganondorf. "I don't care if you do have the Triforce of Power, I can still kick your male Gerudo ass."  
The smug look on Ganondorf's face vanished, replaced by a bright red blush instead.  
"The only reason he has the Triforce of Power is because he stole it," Link muttered. Kielke shot him a look.  
"And you keep your mouth shut," she snapped. "I came close to killing you last time, I can very easily finish the job."  
At that point Ganondorf's cronie Teria came scampering up like a weasel, holding the reins of three horses: Link's own chestnut mare Epona, Ganondorf's noble and proud coal-black stallion, and a dapple-gray gelding, apparently for Kielke. Teria handed the reins to Ganondorf, bowed quickly, and shooting a death glare at Kielke, scampered off again.  
Link grinned at Kielke as he snatched Epona's reins away from Ganondorf. "She doesn't like you very much, does she?" Kielke laughed.  
"Who, Teria?" she giggled. "That rat's hated me from the beginning. Ever since Ganon and I forged our alliance. Jealous, I guess."  
"The way you keep egging her on, I'm surprised she hasn't threatened to kill you yet. Or at least tried," Ganondorf said, handing the gelding's reins off to Kielke.  
Link ignored the argument that followed, and he checked to see if all his weapons and things were still in Epona's saddlebags. Bow, check. Arrows: light, fire, ice, and normal, check. Bottles, check. A few fairies in them. That was good, considering he had no idea what he was up against.  
Hookshot, check. Megaton hammer, check. Iron and Hover boots, check. Ocarina, check. Did it work? Link took it out and blew a long, shrill note on it. Ganondorf and Kielke stopped their fight to glare at him.  
"We can hear just fine, Link," Kielke snapped.  
"Just testing," Link replied, trying to contain his laughter.  
"Well, hurry up," she said impatiently. "We need to get going if we're going to catch up to Akuma."  
"Yeah, I'm done," Link said, after a quick peek to make sure he had plenty of bombs and Bombchus. He swung up into Epona's saddle and waited for the others.  
"You might want to wait outside when we reach Akuma's dungeon," Ganondorf said to Link as they left the Gerudo fortress and approached a thick, dark forest.  
"Why is that?" Link said, preparing himself for a bout of bad jokes.  
"Because they say that kids are afraid of the dark."  
Kielke glared at Ganondorf. "You're afraid of the dark, too, Ganon. You know you are." She sped her horse into a fast trot, and Link did the same soon after.  
Ganondorf fell behind them, turning red. "I am not," he said with a growl.  
"You are too," Kielke shouted back over her shoulder.  
"AM NOT!"  
"ARE TOO!"  
"NOT!"  
"TOO!"  
"BOTH OF YOU, SHUT UP!" Link shouted at them. "Goddesses! You're acting like a couple of five-year-olds, for crying out loud!"  
The rest of the trip into the forest consisted of Ganondorf and Kielke throwing acorns and juniper berries at each other and an occasional handful of dirt. Link rode ahead of them, trying to figure out what exactly it was that he'd gotten himself into.  
  
Ten hours later...  
  
The threesome emerged into a forest clearing, with Ganondorf leading the way now. Link gazed around the clearing and picked a few burrs off his tunic, saying, "Thanks a lot, Ganondork. Now we're lost."  
"Don't call me Ganondork! Besides, we're not lost. I know exactly where we're going."  
"I'm calling you Ganondork because you ARE a dork. And don't you think that big tree over there looks kinda familiar?" Link pointed to a large tree with a trunk as big around as the Deku Tree's.  
Ganondorf turned to look at the tree. "Now that you mention it, it does."  
"Yeah, we've passed it about five times now," Link continued. "So don't you give me that crap that we're not lost."  
"Both of you settle down," Kielke snapped, dismounting her gray gelding. "We'll camp here tonight, then figure it all out in the morning."  
Link shook his head. "Who knows what could be happening to Princess Zelda right now. We need to find Akuma's dungeon before nightfall."  
Kielke glared at him. "You know, you really need to get your head out of rescuing Zelda. Instead, start wondering how Hyrule would be like if Akuma became flesh again."  
Link glared back. "I don't know, but that's why we need to get Zelda back, right? If Akuma doesn't have Zelda, she can't become flesh."  
Ganondorf laughed. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "Right. You expect me to believe that it's just your duty to rescue Zelda and defend Hyrule? I've seen you two. You're head over heels in love with Zelda."  
"You shut up!" Link shouted, turning bright red.  
Kielke sighed. "Men. Always chasing after some girl. But on the other hand, Link, you're right about Akuma." She craned her neck up to look at Ganondorf. "Hey Ganon--hold still for a minute."  
The seven-and-a-half foot King of Evil stiffened. "Why?" he demanded.  
"Just do it!"  
Ganondorf reluctantly stood still, and Link had to keep in his laughter as Kielke climbed up onto Ganondorf's shoulders. Enraged, Ganondorf squirmed and wriggled, trying to throw Kielke off. He was rewarded with a kick in the head as Kielke stood up, her feet on both his shoulders.  
"Quit wiggling! Stand still, dammit!"  
Link finally couldn't hold it in, and he laughed even harder as Kielke started scouting around for the way out of the forest.  
"What do you know? Ganon's a lookout post!" And the Hero of Time collapsed to the ground in laughter as Ganondorf turned redder and redder every minute.  



	6. Love in the Night

Chapter Six  
  
After Kielke had sighted a way out of the forest and Ganondorf was done tearing through the brush after LInk, the rest of the night was actually peaceful. Link and Kielke had, with absolutely no help from Ganondorf, managed to light a small fire to keep away the wilder things in the forest.  
Link was awake now, keeping the fire alive, but it was extremely boring with no one to talk to. Ganondorf was fast asleep on the ground, and Kielke was curled up in a ball on a woven sleeping mat she'd brought along with her. She had used her Wyvern-skin cloak as a blanket, and Link was jealous. It looked warm.  
He shook himself awake and looked over at the three horses, tethered to a tree and hobbled. It was strange, how Epona and Ganondorf's horse nibbled at the grass under their feet with no argument whatsoever. Were Ganondorf and himself missing something that the horses knew?  
"I know what you're thinking."  
Kielke's voice startled him. She was sitting beside him now, inspecting a stick of wood. Her lavender eyes caught the red and orange of the fire, making them look like a view of the sunset. Link shivered.  
"I thought you were asleep. And I--didn't hear you get up," he said awkwardly.  
Kielke threw the stick into the fire, looked up, and smiled at him. "That's the idea. I've learned how to walk so carefully on the ground that I leave no footprints nor make any sound."  
Link smiled back. "You're going to have to teach me sometime."  
"I promise." Kielke looked distantly out at the forest. "You know, I'm like you in a way. I never knew my parents either. Criya, my Wyvern mother, says they left me with her for protection. Against what, I have no idea. The only thing I have of them are these."  
She reached up with her hand to her face and touched one of the red markings on her cheek. "I don't know what they mean, but they must symbolize something." She sighed and lowered her hand again.  
She accidently placed her hand over Link's as she put it on the ground. Startled, both looked at each other, and Kielke found herself falling into Link's sapphire-blue eyes. To her, they were deep as the ocean, and fathomless as the sky.  
They stayed like that for what seemed to them hours, then both blinked, turned away, apologized to each other, and nervous laughter followed. Both shot equally nervous glances at the still-snoring form of Ganondorf.  
"You know, I've never thought about you this way," Link admitted. "I thought you were actually going to kill me that night. And again at your caves."  
Kielke looked off to the forest again, distant once more. Concerned, Link took his hand and turned her face toward him. To his surprise, there were tears growing in Kielke's eyes.  
"I meant to, both times," she choked. "But something stopped me. I--I don't know what it was, but--" Her tears spilled over, running over her cheeks and Link's hand.  
She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close, her sobs louder. Link sat startled for a minute, then wrapped his arms around her, gently rocking her back and forth.  
"No one ever told me you would be so wonderful," Kielke said between sobs. "I didn't believe it at first, absolutely couldn't believe it, but now--now I know I must believe it--"  
Her voice trailed off, and she broke out of their embrace. She wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled at him. "Link, I think I'm--"  
"Shhhh..." Link pulled the ever-present bandanna from off her head and ran his fingers through her hair. "I know. I think I'm in love, too."  
The two leaned in close, and each knew what was coming, but Kielke didn't know for sure. How long would it go on? What would happen? How far would they go? Instead she closed her eyes and waited.  
Soon she felt Link's lips close over hers, and she welcomed them. She felt a fire that warmed her more than the fire beside them, and a secret desire that burned away her childish wishes and dreams.  
She put her arms around Link's neck, and he held her close. The embrace lasted until neither one could breath anymore, and they retreated. Kielke opened her eyes again, and was locked away again in the beauty of Link's eyes. They breathed for a while, warm hot breath that warmed their faces, and each breathed in the other's breath.  
  
All the while, they didn't notice the stranger dressed in black watching them from the trees, a stranger whose own breath could blow fierce wind and carry houses to faraway lands.  
This stranger watched the two lovers as they kissed again. "So, the Dark Shadow is among us," the stranger whispered to himself. "Kielke Chiba is the key to Akuma's flesh." He smiled to himself. "The Dark Shadow, Hinode's Legacy...Lady Kokuei..."  



End file.
